Joe Biden: Hillary Clinton’s decision won’t sway my 2016 plans

Vice President Joe Biden’s decision to run for president in 2016 won’t be swayed by whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chooses to seek the Democratic nomination, he said Tuesday.

Appearing on “The View,” Biden pushed back against an assertion by host Barbara Walters that Biden has said he won’t run if Clinton does. “No I haven’t,” he told her, in an interview billed as an opportunity to promote the Affordable Care Act. “Whether she runs or not will not affect my decision.”

Considerations about whether he’ll run aren’t shaping how he does his job as vice president, he said. “Everything I’ll have to do to be a viable candidate is the same exact thing I should be doing to be the best vice president I could possibly be,” Biden said.

Biden also made a deal with Walters, who has announced plans to retire this year. “If you stick around, I will announce my decision with you.”